Autism Early Intervention Proven Critical

We don’t usually feature news on this site, but this is a significant exception. You may have seen extensive media coverage this morning of a new study that confirms how early intervention in autism based on communication-oriented therapy (as we advocate) can transform the quality of life of autistic children and unlock the potential for much more general development.

This is how The Guardian reported it today, and you can listen below to how it was covered by the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 this morning:

These findings are not a surprise to us. A big part of our purpose at the Transforming Autism Project is to raise public and professional awareness globally of the importance of this sort of intervention (to the extent that such therapies will be commonly available through mainstream health services worldwide), and to provide families with thorough training and support on how to put it into practice. Within 4-5 years, we aim to open our first clinic in or near London which will provide an intensive and immersive programme for one family at a time to begin this important work with autistic toddlers and to give their families complete training in continuing to implement it at home following the programme. Ongoing support will be provided as the child grows.

It is based on the proven Reciprocal Play Therapy methodology of the Mifne Center, a clinic in Israel where our own family was treated 5 years ago, that has been extremely successful in turning around the lives of very many families globally with autistic toddlers (and sometimes babies) by using this therapy.

We are clearly at the start of a very positive wave where there appears to be a growing openness to this message that has been dismissed for very many years. Our goal is to fuel that wave and make sure that as many children’s lives as possible are transformed by it.